ASI helps sponsor event to find out what students think

Today's youth in America typically spends their free time watching shows like Project Runway, playing games like Guitar Hero and surfing the web, commonly for YouTube videos. The most reading they do outside the classroom is in text messages and the only non-school related "research" that is done is seeing if that cutie in biology has a MySpace. It's no wonder older generations may think that the young are uninvolved and uninterested in major topics facing the world today. For this reason, the Associated Students Inc, in co-sponsorship with Student Leadership and Development, Housing and Residential Life and faculty, hosted the "Absent or Silent-Does Generation MySpace Give a Damn" as a way of getting inside the minds of today's youth.

This event was held on April 16 in the Event Center from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with refreshments given out during the first half hour.

There was a panel consisting of faculty and three students who answered ten questions ranging from the presidential elections to cell phones practically being physically attached to anyone between the ages of 13 and 30. The panel of speakers gave their own personal responses to all questions.

One of the students who participated in these dialogues is University Student Union Board of Directors Chair Sean Newland. The purpose of this event, according to Newland, was "to get the students' opinions on topics and get an understanding of what students feel. Does the MySpace generation care about what's happening in the world in regards to the economy, the war in Iraq and politics?".